I am lucky to have kids who actually enjoy learning. For Caitlin, who is a sophomore in high school at a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) academy, she is very social and likes to go to school. For Henry, we had such difficulty with bullying, we pulled him out and decided to home school. This was a great decision but it can be really tough to be a parent as well as a teacher. As parents, one of our jobs is to be a teacher of life, which is much different from being a teacher of school subjects. Henry loves to read, so language arts is easy for him, but for math and science, not so much. I have had a hard time getting him interested in these subjects, so I have had to dig deep and get creative. Here are a few of my favorite tricks to get Henry to learn about science without it feeling like work:
3 Ideas To Get Your Kids Interested In Science
- Embrace It Yourself: I was a nerd in school and did very well in science and match. I have taken this attitude and tried to spread that love to Henry. I find if I get excited about a science project, he tends to be more interested in it.
- Use Real Life Experience: Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I will grab Henry and talk science, whether it be during a solar eclipse, passing a container of dry ice at the grocery store or during a thunderstorm. Encourage kids to ask questions about things going on around them. If there are local organizations like the 4H club, museums, aquariums and zoos nearby, take your child and open their mind!
- Use Educational Toys: Kids love to play and if you can find science based toys, you can make science fun for your kids. One of my favorite companies who offers a wide range of educational toys for your kids is SmartLab Toys.
I have been a pretty big fan of SmartLab Toys for a few years now as I have reviewed quite a few products from their fantastic line of learning toys. I have used their educational toys to homeschool Henry in my review, “Five No Brainers To Make Homework Fun” and “Best Toys For Fine Motor Skill Development For Older Kids.” We had the most fun learning about the human body with all the squishy organs and why thins glow in the dark. By making science fun for Henry, these toys and their subsequent lessons made a lasting impression. Currently, we are working on learning about outer space, the solar system, and stars. We started using our school books and you could see the boredom just pass over Henry’s face. When I saw that SmartLab Toys had kits with the solar system and a planetarium, I knew Henry would love playing with them.
With the Star Dome Planetarium, the LED powered dome gives you a 360 view of the galaxy right in your very own room! We learned about the 28 constellations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres using the glow in the dark star map. The kit includes a 3 foot tall stand as well as an 8 page book and sells for just $20. On a side note, this also helped Henry go to sleep at night, which is something we struggle with. With the Solar System Adventure, which sells for only $15, Henry learned all about the solar system. By using the large poster, we read a ton of interesting facts about each planet and we made a paper replica of the Mars rover Curiosity from NASA. The sun lights up, so if you like, you can use it as a night light, which is exactly what Henry does! With toys that teach your kids about science and art as well as a ton of free downloadable activities for your kids, SmartLab Toys just makes sense. Be sure to follow SmartLab Toys on Twitter. One USA reader will win the Planetarium Dome and Solar System Adventure ARV $35.
How do you make science fun for kids?
